Houses
by shadow-fire3
Summary: Sam and Dean Winchester are about to face something that John would leave well enough alone but they have always been stubborn. Sometimes, houses are homes...sometimes they are something more...
1. Prologue

Disclaimer – I do not own any of the characters you recognise. If I did I would not be freezing and procrastinating from writing my essay.

**A/N – I haven't written fan fiction in some time but as a good friend of mine informed me – sometimes any form of writing is a great way to relieve stress. **

Prologue

It was a house straight out of a Stephen King novel; a dark, brooding monstrosity that should have been torn down years ago. Instead, it had been left to dwell on the memories of those who lived in the town. It was those same town folk who now told stories about the goings on in the house. Stories that often involved satanic rituals, voodoo practises or general nastiness that always got a rise at a street party or a sleep over.

It was these stories that were now running through Jackson Colby's head as he cautiously made his way up the steps. His blond hair fell into his eyes and he absently tucked it behind his ears frowning at the door. It was a large door with faded paint and a gothic looking knocker that was covered in a light layer of rust. The rest of the house was in similar disrepair but there was something different about the house. Something that had changed since the last time he had been dared to sneak into the house.

Jackson knew that he was being watched but he wasn't expecting the feeling to be coming from in front as well as behind. It was as if someone was waiting for him. He spared a quick glance over his shoulder and Cady Williams smiled brightly and waved him forward. He returned the wave half heartedly.

He inwardly cursed his testosterone for the eighth time since he laid his eyes on her curvy form. She was new in town and he had been the first person that she had shown interest in. He liked to think it was because he was the star quarterback but there was something more. The minute he'd seen her trying to navigate the school corridors he'd felt drawn to her and now he found himself standing in front of a house he had no interest in entering but he was going to go in...Because of her.

"Go on, Jackson," she called encouragingly, letting a soft lilt slip into her voice.

Jackson gave her thumbs up before returning his focus to the house. The feeling of being watched became stronger the closer he got to the door but he was determined not to freak out in front of Cady. Taking a deep breath he grabbed the door knob and nearly let it go straight away. It was icy cold even though it was a mild October night. Shrugging his shoulders he reached out again and turned the hand.

If luck had been with him that night the door would have been locked and he would have turned around, laughed off his embarrassment and taken Cady to the nearest fast food restaurant and seen where the evening would have led. However, the door knob turned without a complaint and he carefully pushed the door open.

"I haven't got all night, Jackie-Boy," Cady taunted gently.

Jackson didn't turn around. Something from within the house had caught his eye. He stepped across the threshold and headed directly towards what he thought was the kitchen. Jackson belatedly thought he should have been surprised to see that the house was fully furnished but there was something he needed to see. He was being pulled towards the back of the house.

In some small corner of his mind he knew that something was wrong but that feeling had been pushed so far back that it was merely the faded image of an almost forgotten dream. He walked on in a daze not hearing as the door closed softly and Cady began to scream. The back of the house was warmly lit and he could smell freshly baked cookies and there was something else. Something familiar.

"Hurry, Jackson dear. You don't want the food to get cold."

He jumped slightly at the voice but didn't stop. "Mum?" He called, softly.

"Hurry my dear boy. I'm awfully hungry."

"I'm coming, mummy," he said, his tone flat.

Cady watched as the door slowly closed and the house began to change in front of her eyes. Opening her mouth she began to scream. After a few moments another voice joined in with hers but this one was filled with pain. Cady screamed again, clasping her hands to her ears, as a chorus of dogs began barking. Porch lights flicked on in the surrounding houses as the street came to life. People were peering out towards the house and Cady felt someone grip her shoulder before she dropped to the ground in hysterics pointing at the house. Her mouth was opening and closing but no sound was coming out.

"What the hell happened here?" Someone called.

"It's the house," another neighbour chimed in.

"Not again."

**A/N – This is just the prologue...hope you all like. :o)**


	2. Chapter One On The Road Again

Disclaimer – I don't own anything to do with _Supernatural_...it all belongs to Eric Kripke and co...

**A/N – I don't know the geography of America that well so if I make any errors please let me know and I'd be entirely grateful if anyone could help me with that. **

Chapter One – On the Road Again...

"I think I've found something," the taller of the Winchester brothers exclaimed, holding out a folded newspaper. Numerous pen marks were scrawled around the sides of the articles. One in particular, however, was circled heavily.

"Found what?" Dean Winchester said between mouthfuls. He was hungry and cheese burgers were his fuel of choice. He was also slightly distracted but not by any of the usual things that distracted him. The waitress, for instance, he knew that she had made eyes at him but it didn't register. He knew that she was good looking but still. Shaking these thoughts out of his mind he turned his attention back to Sam.

Sam sighed. "A case, Dean. I've found us a case."

"Lay it on me," Dean replied, taking another bite of the burger, ignoring the looks he was getting from an elderly lady across the diner. He wasn't there to eat daintily.

"Well, according to the news report a kid went into a house on a dare but never came out. There was a girl there who swears that the house ate him," Sam explained, arching an eyebrow, awaiting Dean's reply.

"So the kid just ran off and the girl had a bad trip," Dean said, knowing that Sam wouldn't bring him something that simple.

"I'd agree with you if it wasn't for the fact that he's not the first to disappear around that house."

Dean waited. He knew that Sam had definitely found something and he would get to it in his own time. It was one of Sam's many quirks. He glanced at the article, his focus going to the grainy black and white photo of a kid, probably not even eighteen. Light hair and a cocky grin wearing a lettered jacket. _Jock_ he thought to himself.

Sam smiled wryly. "Okay, in the last four years seven people have disappeared. Five of which were last seen going into that house. What's stranger is that when people search the house there is never any trace of anyone ever being in there but, everyone who has been in the house swears that there is someone watching them."

"That's a start, Sammy, but you have to have more than a few people getting scared by their own shadows to get me interested." Dean watched as Sam frowned before pausing to collect his thoughts.

"I'm working on it. The place isn't too far from here, so, maybe..." He left it hanging.

"Maybe we can mosey along and check it out?" Dean finished for him.

"Well, yeah. We haven't heard anything from Cas in a while and we may as well carry on hunting," Sam said. "I mean, there's no point in just waiting around for either of them to convince us."

Dean nodded in agreement. "Right. Let's check it out." If anything, it was a perfect excuse to get moving again.

He stood abruptly and chucked enough money on the table to cover their bill. Nodding his head at the lady who had been glaring at him he quietly made his way out of the diner. He was careful to study all the vehicles parked in the lot; after years of military like training, he was constantly on high alert. Even more so now that they not only had demons but angels after them as well.

"So, where is this place?" He asked as they both walked towards the Impala.

"Close to the Canadian border in Michigan. About two hours away." Sam informed him as he stowed his laptop in the back of the Impala.

Dean just nodded as he slid into the driver's seat. He would never tell anyone how important that car was in keeping his sanity in check. It was a part of his family and a part of him. Even now, knowing that the apocalypse was just around the corner, sitting behind the wheel of his 'baby' made things a little more bearable.

Dean wasn't big on looking back over his life experiences. He was never one to dwell but a lot had happened to him in the last few years that he couldn't help seeing how much everything had changed and how often he wished things could stay the same. Sparing a quick glance at his brother as he started the Impala he realised how true that last statement was.

Sam was hunched in his seat, flicking through their dad's journal. Every time Dean saw that familiar handwriting a feeling of hurt flickered through him. He knew that his dad had done everything for a reason but there were still times, especially now, that he would wish that he had no knowledge of what was really out there. And, now that angels had been added to the mix...well...

"There's nothing in dad's journal," Sam said after ten minutes of flicking through the pages.

Dean grunted. "Not too unusual. He went a lot of places but he didn't go everywhere." He pulled out onto the road, leaving Sam to consult the maps. After years of driving up and down the numerous roads he found it comforting watching them stretch out in front of him. They changed but were often more reliable than most people that he knew.

After a familiar silence invaded the Impala, Dean absently flicked on the radio before inserting one of many tapes he had strewn about the car. Familiar rock music blared from the speakers and he smiled as Sam winced at the choice of music. He thought his little brother would be used to this music. After all, they had been almost living in the vehicle for five years.

Within a few minutes Dean was amused to see Sam's fingers start tapping out the beat after his initial annoyance at the music. _Maybe he was having an effect on him after all_ he mused to himself.

"So, what else do you know about this haunted house?" Dean asked, turning the music down a fraction.

"Well, that's the thing. There is no record of anyone dying in the house, near the house, or even connected to the house. There is something else that's a bit strange."

"Yeah?"

"Well, there are no records of when the house was built. It's almost as if it has always been there," Sam supplied as he leafed through the newspaper he had in his hands. It was one that Dean didn't recognise so that meant it was probably a local paper rather than national.

"What do you mean no records?" Sam had succeeded in piquing his interest now and he only wished he would get straight to the point.

"Just that. No one knows who built the house. According to the newspaper, most people think the house has always been there."

"It has to have been built by someone. Houses don't just appear over night," Dean said, almost biting his tongue at that last statement. In their line of work anything could be possible.

"I realise that, Dean, I'm just reporting what's been reported," Sam said, letting a little of his irritation slip into his voice.

Dean opened his mouth to reply when a phone rang, barely audible under the sound of the stereo. He turned the radio down while Sam tried to find out which phone was ringing.

"Try the glove compartment," Dean offered, not taking his eyes of the road.

"Huh, that's odd," Sam said after a moment.

"What's odd?" Dean spared a glance at his brother.

"None of these phones were ringing."

Dean didn't say anything for a moment but he was getting a very strange feeling in his stomach. Slowing the Impala he pulled over to the side of the road. Digging around in his pocket he pulled out his phone and double checked it. He always had it set to ring and vibrate in case he didn't hear it. Checking the display to see if he'd had any missed calls he started slightly when the phone began to ring in his hands.

"It's an unknown number," Dean said.

"Well, are you going to answer it?"

Flicking open the phone he held it up to his ear...

**A/N – sorry to leave you hanging. I have to do some more essay work now...I'd much rather be doing this. Comments welcome...please share your thoughts on my dialogue...I felt it was a bit forced in places...was wondering what you all thought...**


	3. Chapter Two Better Be Home Soon

Disclaimer - I don't own anything to do with _Supernatural_...it all belongs to Eric Kripke and co...

**A/N – I know this is going slow but I'm trying to work on it between writing my essays for uni. I hope you are still enjoying it. And the next chapter shall be more action packed – if my muse is correct...Thanks for reading. **

Chapter Two – Better Be Home Soon

Sam watched as Dean answered the phone. He quirked his eyebrow in a silent question but Dean ignored him. After several seconds of silence Sam watched as Dean hung up the phone.

"Don't even think of saying it was a wrong number, Dean," Sam said.

Dean shook his head and Sam was surprised to see how pale he'd become.

"Dean, who was it?" Sam was beginning to get an all too familiar feeling in the pit of his stomach. After all they had been through he was starting to become a strong believer in strange destinies.

"Dean..."

"I don't know who it was, Sam. It was weird," Dean replied.

"Weird...in our line of work?" Sam tried for humour but winced when it fell flat and Dean just arched an eyebrow at him.

"I couldn't recognise the voice but who ever it was; they didn't want us going to Michigan. They were kinda adamant about that," Dean said after a moment.

Sam studied his brother, noting the confusion that ceased his brow and the anger that was brimming under his skin. He wonder, absently, if Dean saw the same things in him. They had both gone through a lot of changes. Sam frowned as a flash of a memory hit him. Inhaling deeply, he forced himself to calm down. For the last few days he had been having a recurring dream though nightmare might better suit what he was having.

In his dream he saw himself killing Lilith over and over again while the demon blood raced through his system, making him feel powerful. He would never admit this to anyone but for a split second...just one split second before everything hit the fan he felt more alive than he had ever felt in his life. And, for that very reason, he knew that he could never go back to being Sammy, even though he let Dean get away with calling him that. Things had changed so much that he was no longer sure of his identity.

"Did you hear me, Sammy?" Dean's voice interrupted his thinking.

"Huh?"

"I said they warned us away from the house. So..." Dean left it hanging.

"So, we definitely have to check it out," Sam finished.

Dean nodded and started the car again, pulling out onto the empty road. Sam sighed under his breath, knowing full well that Dean still wasn't okay with him after the events that lead to Lilith's death. He couldn't blame him though. He wished that he could go back and change everything but he knew that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

Trying not to dwell on his thoughts, which would only make Dean angry; Sam leaned back, closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep. He knew that Dean would wake him when they got to their destination.

Dean knew Sam was asleep when the snoring began. Being brothers they knew a lot about each other but growing up the way they had definitely warped their relationship. Dean often found himself slipping into father or protector mode when he was around his younger brother. Even though they rarely saw eye to eye it was something that Dean knew would never really change. Hell, Sam had drunk demon blood and screwed over the world, but he was his little brother. And Dean knew that he had added to the whole apocalypse thing so he was man enough to take his side of the blame.

"We are one screwed up family," he murmured as he focused on the drive while thinking about the phone call.

He wasn't sure how that person had got their number or who they even were. All he knew was that now they had to go to this place. Though there was something niggling on his mind. Something that he couldn't put his finger on.

He was so caught up in his thinking that he almost missed the turn off managing to slam on the breaks and turn just in time. Sam was jostled in his seat but he was out cold. Dean shook his head in amazement as they coasted into the small town of Falls End, Michigan.

It was barely mid morning but already the town was very busy. It was October so Dean wasn't surprised to see that Halloween decorations were out in full force. Memories from last Halloween echoed through his mind making him grumble a series of curses under his breath.

"Hello to you, too," Sam replied, sleepily.

"Look," Dean muttered in reply as he pulled into the car park of the first motel he saw. "It looks like a pumpkin has vomited all over the town."

Pumpkins, skeletons and way too much orange crete paper was covering every inch of the town. Dean held back a shudder of repulsion as he dug through his wallet looking for an appropriate ID for the motel.

"Well...it is October," Sam said.

Dean just rolled his eyes before leaving Sam in the car to book their room.

As he entered the reception he was pleasantly surprised to see a beautiful girl idly flicking through a magazine. She had caramel coloured hair and dimples that were hiding in her rosy cheeks. When he rang the bell she looked up and he was shocked to see a scar running through her left eye.

"Can I help?" She asked, her voice soft.

"Uh...room for two," Dean asked, trying not to focus on her scar and finding his eyes lowering to her chest, which made him blush so he focused on her name tag, Amy.

"ID and credit card, please," she asked, giving him a soft smile.

Dean found himself returning the smile and handing over his ID.

"Okay, Mr Morrison," she said, looking from the ID to his face and handing over a set of keys. "You can have room eight. Check out time is ten in the morning."

"We might be here for a while. My brother needs a break and I've got a story to cover," Dean replied, pouring on some of his charm. "I don't suppose you can tell me about the house that ate that kid?"

The girl raised her good eyebrow as a frown flittered across her lips. "Why do you want to know?"

"Well, I'm a reporter for the Weekly World News," Dean ad-libbed.

"Well, I avoid it at all costs and I recommend you doing the same," she told him, her tone dark and eyes showing fear.

Something about the way she said it made him look her directly in her eye. "Really, you believe the house ate that kid?"

"Off the record?"

Dean nodded.

"That house bit, chewed, swallowed and has yet to spit him out. If you want to know more I suggest you go looking for Cady. She can tell you what she saw...if she's stopped screaming that is."

"Uh...thanks, I guess," Dean said, grabbing the keys and making his way back to the car.

"Mr Morrison," she called and Dean turned around. "I don't mean to sound so harsh but as Hamlet said, 'there are more things in heaven and earth...'"

Dean looked back at her only to find that she was staring at him, a vacant, sad look on her face. Feeling uncomfortable he just nodded and exited the reception.

Sam had watched Dean's interaction through the window, finding it confusing and awkward. When Dean jumped back into the car and moved down to their room he was surprised to see him deep in thought.

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"Let's just say this is going to be an interesting case. And we have to find that Cady girl. There is something going on here that I can't put my finger on."

Sam had to agree with his brother.

As they moved their gear into the room neither of them noticed as Amy continued to watch them intently. They didn't see as she took down their license plate and then made a phone call. They were too busy to notice when another person arrived at the motel.


	4. Chapter Three Let's Go Crazy

Disclaimer - I don't own anything to do with _Supernatural_...it all belongs to Eric Kripke and co...

Chapter Three – Let's Go Crazy

Dean dropped his bag on the first bed while giving a cursory survey of the room. After years on the road one motel room looked much the same as another. This one was no exception although there was a different picture of a ship above his bed. He stared at the picture, not really seeing it as he thought through their next move. Normally they would scope out the house first but after his conversation with Amy he felt wary looking at it during the daylight. So, that left finding Cady. Though he wasn't sure if that was going to get them anywhere.

Also, Amy had worried him. In fact, he felt that it would be a good idea to go back and interrogate her. And, besides the scar, she was pretty good looking.

"Dean...earth to Dean?" Sam's voice suddenly caught his attention.

"Huh?" Dean shook his head and looked up at his brother.

"I was asking you what you wanted to do next," Sam repeated, running a hand through his hair in a familiar gesture.

"Research I guess. Maybe check out the town," Dean said, standing up and tucking his gun in the back of his trousers.

He saw Dean raise an eyebrow. "Research first?"

Dean opened his mouth to reply when his phone rang. He glanced at the number, a wry grin flitting across his face. "I've gotta get this," he said with a laugh.

"Cas. We're in Falls End, Michigan...no...no..." Dean frowned as he hung up the phone.

"Is he coming here?"

Dean barely had time to answer when Castiel appeared. His hair seemed to be standing out on end more than usual and his five o'clock shadow stood out against the starkness of his face. To most people he probably looked like an accountant or maybe a low level banker with his suit and trench coat. His host, Jimmy, may have been that but Cas was an angel and not the friendly, protecting kind.

"Why are you here?" He asked, his eyes surveying the room with barely concealed distaste.

"Hello to you too, Cas," Dean quipped.

"Hello. Why are you here?" Castiel spoke in a stern tone though Dean was sure he saw his lip twitch in a small smile.

"We found a case," Sam answered.

Dean winched as Castiel's harsh glance fell on Sam. He knew that Cas was slowly accepting Sam but the whole demon blood made him wary whenever he found himself in Sam's presence. Dean understood that but there were times when that behaviour rubbed him up the wrong way.

"A case that was more important that stopping the apocalypse?" Castiel asked, shoving his hands in his pockets as he spoke.

Dean saw Sam about to reply but Dean hurried to step in.

"Look Cas, we were just sitting around and you know us, we need to keep busy. We're all for stopping the apocalypse. I mean, it's pretty high on our lists of things to do but we've got other responsibilities as well."

Castiel turned his gaze on him and Dean fought the urge to take a step back. He'd noticed that the longer he'd been around Cas the easier it had become to handle his intense gaze. In fact, he was beginning to think the angel was somewhat fond of him.

"I understand," Castiel said after a moment.

Dean was about to argue when he realised what Cas had said. "You understand?" He echoed.

"Yes. You are both soldiers. You cannot stay hidden away when you can help people. It makes logical sense," Castiel said, more to himself than anyone else.

"Okay," Sam said, drawing out the 'o'.

"What is this case?" Castiel asked.

"Apparently there is a house in town that has no record of being built and is currently eating people," Dean supplied, itching to see how Castiel would react.

"Oh. Good luck," he replied before disappearing.

Dean stared wildly at the place where Cas had just been standing. "I really hate it when he does that."

Sam chuckled softly.

_The house sat there. People continued to walk past, most of them now ignoring the yellow tape warning of a crime scene. The house didn't care one way or the other. It was hungry but it could wait. It was very good at waiting. The last boy wasn't nearly enough to satiate its hunger. Though the boy had a great amount of energy. _

_It used the energy to send its feelers out through the town, it was then that it realised that something had changed. There was something in town that it hadn't felt in a long time. Something powerful._

_This was a new development. The house shifted in its foundations and drew its feelers back into itself. The remains of the boy were still floating around in the rooms. To the house it felt as if something was tickling it. Thinking about food it sent its feelers out again. _

_Something about that powerful change made it wary as well. It began to go through its checks. Starting with the last person who had seen it. _

Cady Williams sat on her bed. Her knees were pulled up to her chest and her hair fell in wild tangles around her face. It was the eyes that worried him, though. Sam could tell straight away that she had seen something that her mind couldn't explain. Her eyes were almost vacant and the purple smudging underneath them told him that she wasn't sleeping.

"Hi Cady, my name is Colin and this is my brother James," he said, indicating Dean who stood behind him.

Sam was used to talking to the victims. Dean was often abrupt unintentionally, whereas Sam had the softer touch. He was used to talking to those who needed a kinder hand.

Cady reacted to his voice, but only just. Her head twitched slightly.

"We're here to try and find Jackson," he continued, taking it very slowly. He could tell that he would have to take it step by step.

"The house was hungry...it didn't want me..." She said, suddenly, cocking her head to one side and looking directly at Dean. "I wasn't good enough but he was. He was all tasty and fun."

Sam cast a glance over his shoulder, looking straight at Dean. Dean responded by shrugging his shoulders.

"What do you mean, Cady?"

"The house likes some people and really likes some others," she whispered. "I think it might like you." She returned her gaze to Sam.

"What did you see, Cady?" Sam tried again.

A low chuckle escaped her throat, making Sam shiver. "I saw it lure him in...using bait...using cookies...it tricked me...oh God it tricked me. It knows I'm here. It doesn't want me to say any more. I can feel it, crawling in my brain," Cady muttered as she began to hit her head with her hands. "Get it out," she began to scream.

Sam reached forward, gripping her wrists in his hands in an attempt to stop her hurting herself. "Dean, I need a little help here."

"It wants...it wants...it wants," Cady began to repeat over and over again in a monotonous tone, her eyes blank.

"She won't say anymore," a voice interrupted them. "I think you better leave now."

Turning, Sam saw Cady's mother standing in the doorway. Her eyes were heavy and her face drawn.

"We are sorry, Ma'am. We were hoping that she might have remembered something," Dean interrupted, turning on his charm.

"Well, it hasn't appeared to work."

"We'll leave you be, now. If she remembers anything," Dean said, handing her a scrap of paper with his number.

She took it with a nod but Sam knew that she wasn't going to call. Biting back a sigh Sam let go of Cady's wrists. The girl whimpered softly, curling into a tight ball. Sam began to move away when Cady's hand shot out, gripping his wrist tightly.

"It wants you...it's going to drag you to it like a fly to a spider," she hissed before breaking into another bout of laughter. "It's going to eat you too."

Her mother rushed to her side, shooting both of them dirty looks. Sam knew it was their cue to leave and Dean was right behind him.

"Well..." Dean began. "That was interesting."

To be continued...

**A/N**__**I think we are starting to get to the gritty stuff. Anything you think isn't working let me know. Constructive criticism is my drug of choice at the moment. **


	5. Chapter Four Show Me The Way

Disclaimer - I don't own anything to do with _Supernatural_...it all belongs to Eric Kripke and co...

Chapter Three – In the Midnight Hour

Dean kept replaying what Cady had said over and over, trying to make sense of the garbled insanity of it. He knew he should be used to these kinds of interrogations but every time he saw these kids wrapped up in this stuff he felt a wave of anger.

"Why do most of our leads have to be crazy?" He muttered, darkly.

Sam grinned sadly. "Well, I guess cause we are kind of crazy."

Dean glared at him. "That was rhetorical, Sammy." He stomped off to the Impala before turning around and pointing his finger at Sam. "And don't say anything about my vocab. I'm a lot smarter than I look."

Sam grinned more vividly this time and Dean resisted the urge to start name calling.

"So, where to next?" Sam asked, leaning on the car.

Dean stomach took that as a cue to rumble, loudly. "I agree," Dean chuckled while Sam shook his head.

Neither of them saw Cady peering at them from the window, her mouth open in a silent scream and her eyes wide with terror. Dean drove off at a steady pace, feeling nothing more than hungry and confused. Even Sam didn't notice when one of the shadows seemed to detach itself from the Williams' house, jumping from shadow to shadow.

_Jackson was very much aware that he was no longer among the living. This was due to several reasons and the first was that he had seen his body dissolve. He was, initially, very surprised at how much dying hurt and didn't hurt at the same time. He was also disappointed that there had not been a bright light or Roma Downey there to guide him through. The second reason he knew he was dead was because he had heard the police saying so when they had walked through the house though he knew that they hadn't found a body. _

_What Jackson did know for certain was that he was very much stuck in this house and it was the last place he wanted to be. Yet, no matter how hard he tried to escape, he always found himself back in the kitchen. Sometimes his mother would be there, smiling and offering cookies but other times there was someone else. The sick looking figure that was dressed in grey. The grey figure stood there, watching him, as if he couldn't understand what had happened. _

_Jackson knew something strange had happened but he couldn't tell anyone about it. He felt very sad that this had happened because he wanted to show off for a girl but he was also surprised about how neutral he felt about everything now. He didn't care that the house was already planning to lure in its next victim. _

Sam sat at a secluded booth in the diner while Dean attempted to flirt with the waitress. Not for the first time, Sam was amazed at his Dean's ability to find someone to flirt with in any situation. Turning his attention back to the laptop he continued to search through website after website, trying to find some kind of lead about this house. So far, all he had found were the news articles showing the various people who had disappeared in and around the vicinity of the house.

"Hey," Dean said, sliding into his seat. "You find anything new yet?"He pushed a full cup of coffee in his direction.

Sam gratefully took the drink, shaking his head at the same time. "Just getting a longer list of people who have disappeared. I don't understand how this could have been going on for so long without any other hunters finding out about it. The list is up to twenty confirmed, at the least."

He took a sip of his coffee and frowned at the computer screen.

"Well, according to Stacey up there," he nodded towards the extremely perky blond. "The house has always been there. At school they were all told stories about how you have to stay away from the house but some people go there on dares and some just go there."

"Hmm," Sam nodded slightly.

"Also," Dean continued, "I kinda got the idea that when people move away or go to college they don't think about the house."

Sam looked up then, frowning as a strange thought came to his mind. "Do you think there is something working some bad magic over the town? It wouldn't be the first time we've come across something like that."

"Yeah but something doesn't fit," Dean said, gulping down the last of his burger. "We are going to scope that house tonight, though."

Sam nodded in agreement as he went back to his research. Being on the road for so long had made them both comfortable in their own silence and Sam was relieved at not having to think up witty retorts at that time. Although he was glad to have a case there were other things weighing down his thinking. Number one on that long list was the fact that he was supposedly Lucifer's vessel.

He did not want to hurt anyone. He'd never, really, wanted to hurt anyone to begin with but after what had happened to his dad and to Dean...well, he'd changed. No, it wasn't that he had changed, it was that he had learned more about himself and about what he was prepared to do. The duality of his mind scared him a little more than he liked to admit. On one side he was almost a pacifist; the kind, gentle Winchester. On the other side...that side was too dark for him to think about at present.

"Oh, I think I want to have another chat with that Amy chick as well," Dean said, drawing Sam back to the real world.

"Do you think she knows more than she's..."

"Of course. You don't give a warning like that if you don't know anything," Dean said, glancing towards the entrance as the bells tinkled softly.

Sam saw him frown and followed his gaze. At first he didn't see anything out of the usual and then he realised that no one had come in.

"Um, how many times has that gone off since we have been in here?" He asked.

Dean just shook his head. "Let's go and check out the library."

Sam downed the last of his coffee and stood in a fluid motion, closing his laptop at the same time. He knew Dean had seen something that he didn't want to talk about until they were out of hearing reach of everyone.

Once outside, Sam had to shield his eyes against the afternoon sun. It was then that he realised that the diner had been darker than it should have been. He was about to look back and confirm his suspicions when Dean gripped his arm and dragged him away from the diner.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Dean quipped though his eyes were wary and his hand had gone reflectively to the back of his jeans where he kept his gun.

When they were in the car, away from prying eyes and ears Sam looked back to the diner. The shadows by the front door seemed to flow and move as if they were alive and Sam drew in a sharp breath.

"Demons," Sam hissed, instinctively. A shiver of excitement rushed through him and for a brief moment he could taste the blood. He shut his eyes tightly, trying to ignore the familiar tingle of cravings. Swallowing hard he looked at his brother. He knew his face gave him away.

Dean shook his head. "Somehow, I don't think they are. I don't seem to recall them ever making doorbells ring. Plus, if it were them they'd have attacked us already."

Dean's tone had been neutral but there was something in the way that he stared at him that made Sam shift uncomfortably. Resisting the urge to apologise and trying not to dwell Sam turned his attention back to the door. He started suddenly.

"Did you see that?" He exclaimed, sitting up in his seat.

One of the shadows at the door had moved onto the next shadow. And, as they watched it continued to hop from shadow to shadow, swelling and moving like a bloated jellyfish.

"What's the bet that if we follow it we will find ourselves at the house?" Dean said, starting the car.

"I thought we were waiting for tonight."

"There's no harm in going for a drive, is there?" Dean grinned.

**A/N - I have finished a series of assessments so, hopefully, there will be plenty of updates on this...I may even start another story...we shall. Oh and thanks for all the reviews..you are all so kind!**


	6. Chapter 5 We Gotta Get Out of This Place

Disclaimer - I don't own anything to do with _Supernatural_...it all belongs to Eric Kripke and co...Nor do I own The Addams Family...

**A/N I'm having issues separately different person view so, for sake of ease, when the first word of a sentence is in bold that means that the POV has changed from Dean to Sam or whomever...thanks. Hope you enjoy. **

Chapter Five – We've Gotta Get Out of This Place

Dean didn't know what he was expecting when they drove past the house. Well, he did know. He expected a huge gothic mansion with Lurch ready to open the door while Gomez and Morticia welcomed their guests. He expected cobwebs and a general sense of evil being exuded from the very pores of the house. What he actually got was a quaint, almost dainty cottage with a huge porch that appeared to surround the entire building. It was painted in a sunny yellow colour and, although no one lived there, the lawn was well tended too.

"This is the house that eats people!" Dean exclaimed, sarcasm heavy in his tone. The house looked almost picturesque.

Sam nodded, looking as confused as Dean did.

"This is where sweet old ladies live, making cookies," Dean continued. "This is where the second pig lives and where Hansel and Gretel come home too. This is the Grimm brothers dream house."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Are you finished?"

"Yes...for now," Dean answered.

Turning their attention back to the house Dean was a little surprised when he saw the shadow that they followed sinuously slide around the porch before disappearing under the front door. Aside from that one thing the house looked deceptively innocence. Which was kinda normal in their line of work but, as far as haunted houses go, it was frustrating.

"At least we know this is the right house," he mused.

"Yeah but there is something about it that doesn't seem right," Sam said, as he studied the house.

Dean was thinking through their next move when something hit the back of the Impala with a resounding thud making the both of them start.

"What the ..." Dean yelled, jumping out of the car with Sam a few steps behind him.

A tall, almost brutish looking man stood there, wielding a baseball bat and an ugly frown. He was dressed in what Dean liked to call hick casual; dusty jeans, actual cowboy boots and a threadbare plaid shirt.

"What did she tell you about leaving this place well enough alone," the man growled, swinging the bat, taking out the lights in the back. The glass fell to the ground in a soft shower that made Dean see red. He didn't care if the guy was attacking him but this attack on his car, his baby, was uncalled for. The car hadn't done anything wrong.

"What the hell are you doing to my car," Dean yelled, stalking towards the guy, ignoring the bat.

"My sister told you to forget it," the guy grumbled again before taking a swing at him.

Dean jumped back in time but still felt the slight wind from the back as it swung past his shoulders. The guy glowered at him, looking more and more like the hulk every second.

"Who the hell are you talking about?" Dean was confused and angry but he was also trying to keep the man distracted as Sam moved behind him.

"Amy told you it was bad news," he repeated, this time taking a step forward, raising the bat.

Dean wasn't a light weight but this guy had more than an advantage and he was a protective brother, something that Dean knew all about. That was the only reason he gave the man a little more respect.

"Amy...motel reception Amy?" Dean repeated.

The guy just grunted, taking another step forward. Sam was right behind him now, ready to do something, though Dean wasn't sure what. He was ready to tackle the guy, if he needed too. His eye never left the bat and all he had to do was wait for the next swing.

"Stop," a voice called out, sounding calm and angry at the same time.

Spinning on his heel, Dean saw Amy walking towards him, hands up in a placating gesture. "Please," she added.

Unfortunately, her intervention was a bit late as her brother took one final swing with the bat, connecting with the back of his head with enough force to knock him to the ground. His knees hit first and the last thing he remembered before the world went fuzzy was Amy admonishing her brother.

_Help us. _

_We want to get out._

_Please help us._

Dean woke with a start, the cries of people needing his help echoing in his brain. He sat up and tenderly inspected the back of his head. His fingers quickly connected with a lump the size of an egg and he winced, hissing in pain.

"Sorry about that," a voice said, apologetically. "I just..."

Dean peered into the dimly lit room and saw the man who had hit him, sitting cross legged on opposite bed. His face was round and pale and Dean could see wisps of mousey brown hair peeking out from under a worn cap. This close to the man, Dean realised that he wasn't all there, to put it as kindly as he could.

"He was just looking out for me," Amy's said, walking into the room with a glass of water and what Dean hoped were painkillers.

She held them out but stayed as far back from him as possible. She watched him warily as he downed the water and swallowed a couple of the pills. Her stance was on high alert and Dean realised that she was armed. Not with a gun or anything but he could see the outline of at least two knives.

"Thanks," he said after the pills had kicked in, dulling out the pain some. "Sam?" He asked in way of a question.

"He's gone to get some food," Amy said, tucking her hair behind her ear.

Dean studied the two of them, noting their differences. Her brother was tall and bulky, with wide shoulders but his face, now that he wasn't attacking anyone, had a look of pure innocence. Amy, however, had a face that was almost unreadable.

Groaning, Dean stood up slowly and moved towards them. Amy flinched and took a step back.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he grumbled, thinking about the irony. He was the one that had been hurt and now they were both scared of him.

"It's not that we're scared of you per se," Amy began.

Dean froze, looking directly at her, eyebrow raised in question.

"Oh, I can't read minds, if that's what you're thinking. My brother and I are here for a reason," she said, words tumbling from her mouth.

"Start explaining," he said, sitting himself down on the lumpy sofa.

Sam handed the guy behind the counter a few worn notes and wasn't surprised when the guy double checked them. In today's world you had to make sure that the money that went in the till was legit. Though he was pretty sure that the kid had no idea what he was really looking for.

While he waited for the order to come through Sam found himself staring out the window, watching the children, finally free of school, run up and down the streets. Their laughter seemed to ring against the stillness of the town.

**Sam** had been worried about leaving Dean with those two but they had helped him get his brother back to the motel and Amy had seemed convincing enough. He sighed, thinking through the day's events. They'd hardly been there seven hours and already one of them had been knocked unconscious. It had to be a record, even for them.

And, still, they had no leads on anything other than the mutterings of someone who had jumped on the crazy bus. Shivering as he thought of Cady he happened to see something pass by that made him focus. At first he wasn't sure what he was seeing but then, when it shimmered out of sight, he realised that it was a residual image. It was what happened sometimes, when a ghost had already passed on but a memory remained. They couldn't do any harm but anyone who saw them might get the wrong idea.

He thought about following it when his order was called. Grabbing the bag he quickly ducked out of the dinner and scanned the street, hoping to see another residual. When nothing caught his eye he sighed and began the short walk back to the motel.

He stopped outside the door when he heard voices. It wasn't hard to make out who was speaking and Sam listened intently.

"So, why are you here?" That was Dean; his voice was gruff but still his.

"To stop people, like you, for going into the house," a feminine voice replied.

"Protect," a softer voice echoed and Sam realised it was the brother. He had been surprised by how gentle the man actually was. He hadn't taken him long to realise that he was slow but, because of his size, he was very dangerous.

"Yeah, Dustin, protect people," Amy said, her voice was soft and kind.

Sam decided to enter, feeling a little guilty for eavesdropping. Pushing open the door he put the food on the small table and closed the door gently behind him. Dean automatically reached for the bag.

"You better have brought me some pie," he said, reaching into the bag.

Sam held back a wry grin and nodded before turning his attention to Amy. "Protect people from what?"

Amy took a step back, a look of surprise on her face. "From the house, of course."

Sam shook his head in confusion. "I know that but what is wrong with the house?"

"It's possessed," Amy said simply.

Sam let out a bark of laughter. "As in ghost possessed?"

Amy shook her head. "No. I mean as in god possessed."

**A/N – this is getting more complicated as I write it...at first there were just going to be some random ghoul like things living in the house but my muse said no...the house is possessed and not just by any old thing...hmm...I hope you enjoy. **


	7. Chapter Six When the Going Gets Tough

Disclaimer - I don't own anything to do with _Supernatural_...it all belongs to Eric Kripke and co...I'm not making any money from this...

Chapter Six – When the Going Gets Tough...

Dean shook his head and looked to the empty glass, a flitter of worry passed through his mind as he wondered if he'd been drugged. Everything this girl was saying didn't make a lick of sense to him and he saw his confused expression mirrored on Sam's face; a face that had gone a strange shade of grey.

"You wanna run that by us again?" Dean said, after a moment.

Amy sat heavily on the chair next to her brother and sighed heavily, running her hand through her hair.

"Look, you don't have to stay here. It's my job to stop people going into that house, me and Dustin have been managing fine and we'll keep on doing so," Amy spoke softly in an even tone.

"Well, you seem to be doing a spiffing job," Dean said, ignoring Sam when he mouth 'spiffing'.

Amy glared at him, an effect that worked all the better with her damaged eye. "Like you, I can't save everyone," She growled.

It took Dean a fraction of a moment to understand what she'd just said. Sam reacted faster.

"Wait a minute. You know who we are, don't you?" Sam said, taking the only free seat next to Dustin.

Grinning wryly, Amy nodded. "There aren't many who don't know who the Winchesters are. And don't worry. I have no interest in turning you over to anyone. The end of days has to come sometime, until then; we have our own jobs to do."

"What was in those pills?" Dean mused, aloud.

**Sam** rolled his eyes before turning back to face Amy. "Who are you?"

"You don't have to worry about me. I would, however, recommend you get out of town asap because the house is hungrier than usual and it senses the blood in your veins," She said, looking straight at him.

"Okay, you know what. I think we need to start this from the beginning because my head is starting to hurt and none of you are making sense," Dean interrupted.

Amy cast a glance at him and Sam recognised the look. It was one that he often gave his brother when he appeared to be confused. He also knew that his brother was generally smarter than that so the bump on his head must have been harder than he thought.

"Okay. I know that you both have a lot of knowledge surrounding the things that go bump in the night but I don't know how good your knowledge is on gods," she began.

"Like the man up there?" Dean said, gesturing skywards.

"Well, no. There are so many religions in the world that have gained power from those who follow them. Pagan deities, Hindu, Norse and so on. I'm pretty sure that it won't be long before the flying spaghetti monster is making his rounds," she said with a wry laugh.

"Flying what now?" Dean said as he eyed the pie that Sam had brought him.

"Pop culture reference...never mind," Amy said. "What I am trying to get to is that some of these gods don't always live long and when people stop believing in them they can die. In this case, though, the god who was worshipped here a long time ago didn't give in to his fate."

"God held on," Dustin echoed before looking off into space.

Sam was having troubling seeing Dustin as this innocence looking man child compared to the angry man from before. It seemed as if they were two separate people trapped in the same body. He was sitting there tuning in and out of the conversation and every so often he would smile and Sam could not recall seeing anyone smile in such a way before.

"Yeah, Dustin, that's right. He did," Amy said, softly taking her brother's hand and patting it gently.

"So, he refused to die and now possesses the house? How can he do that if he's not dead?" Dean asked and Sam nodded in agreement.

"Well, technically he is dead but he's still feeding. It's really complicated, guys, are you sure you want me to try and explain?"

Sam was surprised to hear weariness edge into her voice and he studied her features. There were bags under her eyes that seemed too dark. The whole effect made her look worn down and washed out.

"He doesn't like our family," Dustin said, suddenly. "He doesn't like me. It's me who he doesn't like. It's my fault."

Sam quickly turned his attention back to Dustin, surprised once again but this person in front of him.

Amy was quick to put a hand on his shoulder. "No, Dusty, he is just angry at us."

"Okay, I'm getting the feeling that you are leaving some vital information out about what's going on here," Dean said, a note of distrust and anger dropping into his voice.

"It's got nothing to do with you, Dean Winchester," Amy growled, staring at him, unblinking.

"If it's killing innocents then it's got everything to do with me," Dean retorted, standing up with fists balled.

Sam jumped up, placing himself between the two. "Calm down, both of you."

Dustin began rocking in his seat and muttering under his breath which seemed to get Amy's attention. She quickly crouched down next to him, taking his hands in her own petite ones.

"What's wrong, Dusty? What's happened?" She asked, concern evident in her voice.

"He knows where we are and he's going to start calling for us," he said, a small whine entering his voice. "He wants me and you and him," he continued, glancing up at Sam.

"Well he ain't having you," Dean said as if he were stating a fact.

_It had been a long time since anyone had been in his town with such life force. The name Winchester was familiar but it was of no real concern. All he could think about was the power that he would gain from consuming the younger of the two. The older one was interesting but there was something about him that set off alarm bells. He was not to be touched but the younger one...if he still had a corporeal form he would have shuddered in pure delight. _

_It was the other two with them that made him pause in his thoughts. Amy and Dustin. For as long as he could remember their family had been a thorn in his side; saving far too many of his prospective victims. He'd managed to mark the girl though, a beauty mark almost. Yet, this didn't deter her which confused him. Weren't most girls worried about their looks? To him it had always seemed that way. He recalled many of his younger female worshippers always asking for help with looks or boys. Yet this Amy didn't seem to care about either. This confused him somewhat but it was still trivial; it did not matter and he had other things that were of more importance to him. _

**Dean** was still standing, glaring at Amy but he was not angry. In fact, he was almost calm. He recognised what moved Amy. It was obvious that her life revolved around two things; Dustin and the house. Dean could relate. His life revolved around two things as well; His little brother and hunting. He knew that it wasn't much of a life and he accepted that it was rough, not fair and never ending. He also knew that he would continue doing this until he died.

What he was more worried about was what Dustin had just said about the house or god calling for them.

"What does he mean?" Dean asked casting a worried glance at Sam.

Amy had gone a shade paler that Dean thought possible, making her scar stand out like an angry red welt.

"For a while after it has fed it has a little extra power and is able to call to those most appetising to him. People who have already crossed a line, so to say," Amy said sadly.

"Dustin said 'us'. Who, exactly, did he mean?" Sam asked and Dean saw the worry in his eyes.

"Dustin and you," Amy said simply.

"What kind of line could Dustin have crossed?" Dean asked.

"He wasn't always like this," Amy said simply but didn't offer any further explanation.

Dean opened his mouth to say something when a movement in the corner of his eye made him start.

"Dean. You and Sam both have to get out of here," Castiel said, walking into the room.

Dean wasn't prepared for what happened next. Looking back on what happened Dean swore that the temperature dropped and Amy moved faster than he'd seen anyone move before. Castiel reacted at almost exactly the same, moving with a fluidity that seemed to come as second nature to angels.

Amy attacked and Castiel blocked before returning several punches. Both managed to connect with each other though neither seemed willing to stop. Dean found himself staring at them both in shock before he saw Sam jump into the fray and his paralysis broke.

He grabbed Amy round her waist, pulling her away from Castiel and Sam got between them barely missing the wild punches they were both throwing.

Dustin was suddenly crying, hiding in the corner away from everyone else and Dean had a moment to feel sorry for him when Amy elbowed him in the ribs, knocking the wind from him briefly.

"Stop it," Dustin suddenly cried, causing everyone in the room to freeze.

Dean tried to move but found that he was stuck where he was.

"Um...is anyone else stuck?" Sam said, echoing Dean's thoughts.

"It's Dusty, he's upset and doesn't want us to hurt each other," Amy muttered.

"What are you doing here?" Castiel asked, ignoring everyone but Amy.

"Not doing what you think, Castiel."

"Great, why is it we always end up meeting your crazy family," Dean snapped.

"We're not family," they both said at the same time.

"Then what the hell is going on here?"

To be continued...

**A/N Well this is going in a slightly different direction than I intended. I hope you are all still enjoying it. It's interesting to juggle between this story and my other story but it's fun as well. I must be going and working on my essay however. Bye!**


	8. Chapter 7 Imagine

Disclaimer - I don't own anything to do with _Supernatural_...it all belongs to Eric Kripke and co...I'm not making any money from this...(I don't own Hungry Hungry Hippos either...just love the game...who doesn't, really...?)

Chapter Seven – Imagine

The tension in the room was insanely high and Sam felt as if every muscle was twitching. He was still standing close to Castiel and Dean still had his hands around Amy's waist. If they weren't in the middle of stopping a fight Sam would have laughed at the fact that Dean had gone straight for Amy; though the look on Amy's face would have stopped him dead.

She was no longer struggling but her eyes blazed with an anger that Sam was more than familiar with. There was something else as well. There was a reluctance or weariness there that seemed almost painful.

"If you're not family how do you know each other?" Sam asked, trying a different path to his brother.

Amy shrugged out of Dean's gasp but didn't attack. Instead, she went to her brother, who was currently hiding in the corner, eyes wide with fear or awe, Sam wasn't sure which. She knelt next to him, taking his hands in hers, an overly familiar gesture.

Castiel pulled free and stayed standing, taking in everything but giving away nothing. Sam wished he understood the angel's motivation. Admittedly, he was excited to meet the angel but, after learning that they were nothing like in the stories, the excitement faded quickly.

"We are not technically family but there is some degree of relation," Castiel said, his tone neutral.

"That doesn't really answer anything," Dean said.

Like Sam, he was still tense, waiting for whatever was about to happen.

"Look, all you really need to know if that my family and his family don't really get along too well," Amy cut in.

"So you're not human?" Sam asked, running a hand through his hair, something he did when he was trying to understand something.

"Well, yes and no," Amy said. "If I wasn't fully human don't you think I would have healed this," she said, indicating her eye. "Our family dates back to pre-Christian beliefs but we're an adaptable bunch."

"Wait a minute, you're telling us that you know your family lineage all the way back to before Christ?" Sam exclaimed.

"Longer than that," Amy said, "Our family have ties to the creation of..." She started to explain but Castiel shot her a stern look and she shut her mouth.

Sam didn't miss this look and he opened his mouth to say something when he noticed something moving in the corner.

"Uh, guys," he murmured, pointing into the shadows.

Amy was the first to react pulling out a knife and throwing it into the corner. It hit with a dull thud and Sam covered his ears as a high pitched squeal as Castiel moved closer. He crouched down in front of whatever was hiding there and delicately lifted the knife out of the floor.

Sam stared with a look of amazement on his face. At the end of the knife was one of the shadow creatures that they had seen in town.

"What is it?" He heard Dean ask, moving closer.

"It's a sendling of sort," Castiel said.

"It's his blood," Amy said at the same time, causing them to look at each other in distrust.

The thing on the end of the knife moved in a slow jerking motion and Sam realised that it was trying to escape. Without thinking, he grabbed a glass from the sink and let the creature fall into it before covering the glass.

The creature began to mew softly and moved around its new cage as if testing the limits of it's confinement.

"Blood? Okay, one of you has to give us a straight answer before we go and torch that place," Dean grumbled, seating himself on the bed.

Sam watched him wince as he gingerly touched his head.

"I'll let you explain," Castiel said and Sam was sure he saw a glint of frustration in his, normally, passive face.

"Okay, short story. The house is possessed by a god. Not just any god but an old one who refuses to give up on humanity. He was overthrown, kinda, by his father," she said, hooking a thumb at Castiel who just nodded. "He needs sacrifices but since there are no longer any willing sacrifices he now draws in one or two people a year, just so he can control the house and the town, though most people don't realise this."

"Hungry, hungry, hippos," Dustin nodded in agreement. He was no longer crouched in the corner; instead he had moved closer to the glass and was gently tapping on it. The sendling inside moved towards him, still mewling. Dustin began to mew in reply sending shivers up Sam's spine.

"Hush, Dusty," Amy chided absently as she began playing with her hair. "One or more members of our family have stayed in this town on and off over the last three hundred years, even before there really was a town. We have many duties but this is one that often gets looked over since none of us want to admit our part in this."

"I thought this was meant to be the short version," Dean muttered and Sam shot him a lost.

"She is a hunter, of sorts," Castiel added. "Her blood isn't human nor is it angel." The last comment came out sounding disdainful.

"Why don't you tell them the truth, wings," Amy shot back.

"It's not my place," he replied.

"Of course it isn't. You are the favoured of so many yet you can't show favour to anyone," Amy replied, bitterness lacing her tone.

Sam watched this exchange with interest an idea forming in his head.

"You're descended from them, aren't you?" He said, after a moment.

Amy and Dean both turned to look at him.

"From who?" Dean asked, his brow wrinkling, partly from pain.

"From one of the fallen," Sam said, feeling sure of his ideas now.

"He was the fifty eighth...and she, well she was destined to return, she only fell to fulfil a prophecy," Amy said, her eyes sad.

"Wait a minute, let me get this straight. You are descended from two angels but you're not related to Cas here?" Dean asked. He was rubbing the bridge of his nose and Sam could almost see the gears working double time.

"Neither of them were angels at the time. They didn't expect this to happen," She tried to explain.

"But I thought you said your family pre-dated Christianity," Sam said.

"It's complicated but their fall happened before God decided to come and play with this little planet," Amy said.

"Okay, this all too complicated for me. Thanks for the history lesson but I don't care. All I want to do is destroy this house and get the hell out of here," Dean said.

"My hero, "she said, rolling her eyes. "If you know how to get rid of a god let me know because I've been trying to do this for most of my life and I still don't have a frakking clue."

* * *

**Dean's** head felt as if there were several small men in large wooden shoes dancing around in there, the pain killers had barely knocked back the pain and, now, here he was trying to understand the crazy words coming out of Amy's mouth.

"Can't we just burn the house down?" Sam asked and Dean felt his head nod in agreement.

"Be my guest," Amy said, rolling her eyes.

"It is not as simple as that, if what she is saying is true," Castiel said. "Her type is known to be liars."

Amy bristled and took a menacing step towards Castiel before returning her attention to Dusty, who was now thoroughly entranced with the sendling.

"Let me guess, you don't know how to kill him and you think there is no way," Dean sighed.

"There is a way to weaken him...at least I think there is," she said after a moment.

"Well we can start there and we can search the net to see if there is anything more," Sam interjected.

Dean looked over to Castiel who was now looking at Dustin in an odd way. His forehead was creased and Dean was sure he looked confused which was not something that he was used too. Sam and Amy were talking animatedly in the corner and dean saw Sam grab his laptop.

"What is it, Cas? Does this seem right?"

Castiel blinked before looking at Dean. "Something about this seems...hinkey?"

Dean laughed softly at his use of the unfamiliar word. "You said it, Cas."

"I have to go and talk to someone about this," Castiel said, hesitating for a moment. "Will you be all right here until I get back?"

Dean rolled his eyes. "We'll be fine Cas. Do what you have to do; we'll wait here unless we find out something."

"Dean, do not go to that house with Sam," Castiel replied, his tone serious.

Raising an eyebrow he looked from Cas back to Sam. "Why?"

"I don't think it is safe," he said simply.

"But..." Dean didn't get a chance to finish as Castiel had disappeared.

"Angels are like that," Amy said, looking at him directly.

Dean was still disconcerted by the scar but there was something else about her that made him feel uneasy.

"Uh, guys, we have another problem," Sam interrupted, again.

"What now?" Dean said, spinning around to face his brother.

"Dustin's gone...and the sendling."

To be continued.

**A/N- sorry for the late update. I have a lot of assessments going on at the moment so I will try my hardest to be as frequent as possible. Tell me what you think – especially if you aren't sure what's going on...I need all the criticism I can get. **


	9. Chapter Eight Lonely Street

Disclaimer - I don't own anything to do with _Supernatural_...it all belongs to Eric Kripke and co...I'm not making any money from this...

Chapter Eight – Lonely Street

Amy's eyes flew wide and Dean spun in a circle. Sam would have laughed at the comedic expression on his brother's face if the situation were different, as it was, an all too familiar sinking feeling had returned to his stomach. Holding back a sigh, he returned his laptop to his bag when Dean turned back to face him.

"You stay here and we'll go looking for him," he said.

This time Sam sighed aloud. He was frustrated at Dean's constant overprotective streak and it seemed to be getting worse. He knew that his brother carried some strange sense of responsibility about his welfare but sometimes he really wished his brother would see him as an equal not his little brother.

"Why?" Sam heard himself ask, wincing inwardly at the whiny sound of his voice.

Dean just turned and raised an eyebrow, as if to say 'why are you questioning me.' Sam shook his head before nodding and sitting himself in front of the computer.

"I guess I'll do research while you go to the rescue," he muttered under his breath, a mixture of annoyance and petulance slipping into his tone.

"You do that, Sammy," Dean said as he rifled through his duffel bag, taking a selection of possible weapons.

"Look, he doesn't normally wander off," Amy said in a worried voice.

"Don't worry, Dean will find him," Sam said, glancing up at her before returning his attention to his computer.

It wasn't until he heard the Impala start up that he realised they had left. Pushing back from the computer he moved to the window and peered out at the slowly darkening sky. He stayed there for a few moments, letting his mind wander until he realised he was thinking about something that he hadn't thought about in a long time.

"What the hell?" He muttered to himself.

As he stared out the window images of demons flashed through his mind. But it wasn't the demons that were the focus, it was their blood; their rich, powerful blood.

"Jesus," he exclaimed, jumping back from the window.

A thin layer of sweat had formed across his brow and he felt himself shiver. It had been some time since any thoughts like these had crossed his mind. Just another one of the things that he could not talk to Dean about.

He shuddered again before shoving the motel keys in his pocket and making his way out of the hotel.

**Dean** glanced at Amy as they made their way to the Impala. There was a severe look in her eyes, which made the scarring stand out all the more yet he couldn't help but admire her. She was devoted to her brother and that's what family did. They took whatever crap came their way to protect their family, scars and all.

"What are you looking at?" She growled as she slipped into the passenger seat.

"Just wondering what's going on in your mind right about now," he replied honestly.

"Nothing that you need to worry about," came her terse reply.

"Okay," he replied, drawing out the 'O'. "So, where might he have gone?"

"It's the house, Dean. It's always the house. And Dusty is weaker than me," she sighed. She slumped in her seat and crossed her arms over her chest. Dean saw the curve of another knife that he hadn't noted before.

"He's on foot though so we should be able to cut him off," Dean said, trying to sound confident. As far as luck went, the Winchester brothers weren't always on the receiving end.

"Don't bet on it," she replied, focusing her gaze on the streets in front of them. "Night time tends to make him bolder."

"Great, bold demi gods," Dean muttered.

"Don't forget insane," Amy added.

Dean cast a sideward glance at her and saw that a wry grin had made its way onto her face reminding Dean of how she looked earlier in the day.

"So, while we look for your rogue brother, do you want to be honest with me about what's really going on here?"

Amy turned to face him, pushing her hair out of her eyes as she did. Dean realised that she did that to make her scar stand out all the more, reminding him of his job.

"Not really, Dean Winchester. Is there anything you would like to share with me? Like maybe that Castiel had you marked? Or that you've spent time in hell?" Her tone was almost flippant and Dean felt his foot get heavy on the accelerator before he took a deep breath and calmed down.

"Dean, watch out," he heard Amy cry but everything had begun to move in slow motion.

Dustin was suddenly standing in the middle of the road. His eyes vacant and his hands clutched the glass with the sendling in it tightly to his chest. Dean reacted as quickly as anyone and pulled hard on the wheel, slamming on the breaks. He cringed as he heard the screech of tyres and, out of the corner of his eyes he saw Amy open the door.

"What the hell..." he began but a crunching sound distracted him as he realised he was heading straight for oncoming traffic.

"Amy," he heard someone call but his attention was focused on keeping his car out of danger.

**Sam** slid into the closest seat at the bar, signalling the waiter for a drink. The first one he downed quickly, ignoring the burn and quickly ordered another. He needed to get his mind off the memories of demon blood.

He did another shot and then ordered another, ignoring the raised eyebrow of the bartender. This one, however, he started to sip, relishing the numbing fire that began to rush through his body.

"Sammy, Sammy, Sammy," a voice whispered in his ear making him whip his head around.

The bar wasn't that crowded but he couldn't see anyone.

"Thirsty, are we?"

"Who's doing that?" Sam yelled, not caring that everyone was looking at him.

"You know who, Sammy. Just do it already," the voice taunted.

Sam was suddenly aware that everyone was watching him but he couldn't react. The voice was coming from within his own head. Staying calm he threw cash on the bar before running out of the room; the sound of cruel laughter echoing in his head.

**A/N Sorry for the shorter chapters. Once again I am overwhelmed by assessments. Please let me know if you are still enjoying this and I promise the pace will pick up! :o)**


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